How to approach spotting error question in banking exam?
Spotting errors is one of the common scoring topics of English language section for both clerk and PO exams. It is a very vast topic as you need to be proficient in grammar in order to spot the error and rectify it. But even if you are not, here are some tips which will help you to attempt the questions correctly. Usually the errors are related to the parts of speech or their relation. Now we are here with few tips for spotting errors.
Also Read: Easy Tips to find the Opposite meaning word in English Vocabulary
- First you should read the complete sentence carefully. In most of the cases, you will be able to spot the error easily. You must be careful with the subject-verb agreement.
- Many a times, an error can be in the spellings. So be very careful with the spellings
- If you still are unable to search the error, then read out parts of sentence individually and you will find the error.
Types of errors common in spotting error questions
Noun Based errors
Collective nouns like cattle, team, public etc. can be used both as singular and plural depending on their meaning. When these words refer to a unit, the verb is singular, otherwise it is plural.
Example:
The team is headed to the nationals after winning state finals.
The trial team were happy with their presentations to the judge.
- Nouns that refer to length, measure, money or a number, when preceded by a numeral, they remain unchanged in form, for example Foot, dozen, year, hundred, thousand, million etc. Example: Seven million people were affected by the disease in Asia.
- ‘One of’ always takes a plural noun after it. Example: It is one of the most important days of my life.
Pronoun based errors
- A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number and gender.
Example:
Every girl must carry his bag.
All officers must do their work.
- The pronoun ‘one’ must be followed by ‘one’s’.
Example: One must finish one’s task in time
Subject verb agreement
- If a subject is singular, then its verb should also be singular. If a subject is plural, then its verb should also be plural. Example: One of my best friends is/are in the play this week.
Answer: ‘is’ because the subject of this sentence is ‘one,’ which is singular. Don’t let the intervening prepositional phrase (‘friends’) fool you.
- When there are 2 subjects, the verb is plural. Example: Pencil and eraser make/makes writing easier.
Answer: ‘make’ because of 2 subjects- pencil and eraser
- However, when these subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it. Example: Neither the producer nor the actors is/are interested in making money.
Answer: ‘are’ because the subject near it is plural (actors)
Adverbs and Adjectives based errors
- The comparative adjectives like ‘inferior’, ’superior’, ’prior’, etc. are followed by ‘to’ Example: He is senior to me in service.
- Adjectives should not be used instead of adverbs
Example:
Incorrect: He retuned quicker than I expected.
Correct: He returned quickly than I expected.
Also Read: English Comprehension Solving Tips
- Use of ‘Little’, ‘a little’ and ‘the little’.
Little – It has a negative meaning and means ‘hardly any’
A little – It has a positive meaning and means ‘some’, though not much.
The little – means ‘not much’, but all that is.
Example:
She has little knowledge of cars.
She has a little knowledge of cars.
She has the little jewellery that he received from her father.
Miscellaneous errors
The word “whose” is used to address living entities and the word “which” is used for lifeless objects.
Example:
- My mother invited many relatives to my birthday, only a few of whom showed up.
- There are many books in our school library, two of which I’m quite interested in.
Words beginning with ‘h’ like, honour, honest, heir etc. are silent. Hence the vowel following it uses ‘an’, instead of ‘a’ for the article.
Hence, the correct usage is “an hour”.
These were the few tips to be kept in mind to solve the spotting error questions correctly. These will help simplify spotting error questions in SBI-Clerk as well as other banking exam hopefully. There are many more errors expected in the sentences but these are the most common errors.
Cloze Test Practice Sets
How to improve Scores in English Language from 12 to 28
